Earlier this year i reaplaced my blown AW-4 transmission with a newer 30-43LE.
After installing the new transmission I filled up my fuel tank and began
driving. I put about 120 miles on my Jeep and was quite please with the new
transmission. Saturday, March 28th i took it out to Chockcherry Canyon to play
around on the sand-stone. It did quite well, but I took extra precautions to
help prevent a tranny failure. It did fine on the rocks so I brought the Jeep
home to check the fluid levels. It was then i noticed the Gearbox had a slight
leak, and i had lost about a pint of ATF. So I topped it off and changed the oil
and coolant. Sunday morning I drove to a frends house about 20 miles from my
own, where it all went down hill. We drove it to the gas station at the
state-line between Aztec, NM, and Durango, CO. There i noticed ATF burning off
my exhause pipe. I stuck my head under the Jeep to check for any visible damage
to the pan and saw nothing. I then checked around the pan to see if there might
be a crack in the seal. Fortunately there wasn't, but the damage was already
done. After we filled up a gas can we climbed into the Jeep to head back home.
When I turned the starter over the drive gear made an aweful grind against the
flywheel. I then climbed back underneath, when i noticed a crack. About 4 inches
ling spreading from the upper starter mounting bolt, back almost to the
transmission itself. We got my recovery jack from under the seat and jacked the
crack closed and started the Jeep(an old trick my dad taught me). I then babied
the poor Tank back to my friends house to drop him off, then finished the drive
back home at an astounding 15mph. As of now im going to pull the transmission
back out and hopefully weld the crack back together with my Power Mig welder. I
will also flush the transmission with Marvel's Mystery Oil, and replace the
front main seal, the rear main, and the pan gasket, re-install it, fill it back
up and hopefully i can get it back together and on the road in a fasionable
time.
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